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The new chewable heartburn medication Metozolv, an orally disintegrating version of Reglan (metoclopramide), has added a warning to its label alerting users of a risk of the serious movement disorder Tardive Dyskinesia with long-term use of the drug. The change to the drug’s safety label was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and announced this month.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Ron, a musician and artist, was having trouble sleeping. His legs would move involuntarily back and forth under the sheets. At first, both Ron and his doctors thought he suffered from restless leg syndrome. But after a battery of tests conducted by neurologists, and a review of his medical history and medications, doctors determined that Ron suffered from a Parkinson’s-like condition known as Tardive Dyskinesia. They say it was caused by the heartburn medication Reglan.
Thousands of people who suffer from gastrointestinal problems such as severe heartburn, acid reflux and gastroparesis, are treated with the prescription drug Reglan, known by the generic metoclopramide. These drugs were originally prescribed for daily use for as long as two years in some patients. What patients may not realize is that long-term use of the drug is no longer recommended – and, in fact, falls under an FDA black box warning – as it can cause a serious and sometimes permanent neurological disorder known as Tardive Dyskinesia.
All babies spit up on occasion. It usually occurs because the sphincter at the top of the stomach is often loose, causing babies to spit milk out of their mouths or noses. In otherwise healthy babies who are growing well, the contents of this spit up is mostly milk and parents shouldn’t worry. But for some babies, the spit up contains stomach acid, which can make the lining of the baby’s esophagus tender, red and swollen. This reflux of acid can also be inhaled into the lungs, irritating the sensitive linings. These babies may respond to the bottle or breast by arching their backs in pain. They may not gain weight or might cry from the discomfort. Some can develop a chronic cough, wheeze, have a hoarse voice, or even develop pneumonia. Some may stop breathing, a condition known as apnea, to protect their lungs from inhaled acid.
An estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people in the United States have Tardive Dyskinesia, a disfiguring and debilitating involuntary movement disorder involving symptoms such as lip smacking, tongue thrusting and protruding, eye blinking and bulging, head jerking, facial grimacing, and puckering and pulsing of the lips. The muscle spasms can become painful and embarrassing and often are permanent. But what is most disturbing is that in many cases, the condition could have been prevented.
You can’t turn on the TV these days without hearing that the heartburn medication Reglan, also known by the generic name metoclopramide, has been linked to the serious involuntary movement disorder, Tardive Dyskinesia. But the drug also carries another serious warning – it can cause depression and suicidal thoughts.
Severe acid reflux or heartburn can be painful and bothersome with symptoms that range from chest pain or a burning esophagus to hoarseness and sore throat. There are several methods to treat the condition such as manipulating the stomach acid secretion by neutralizing the acid, blocking the Histamine2 to stop acid production, or blocking the gastric proton pump. While the host of over-the-counter and prescription drugs to treat acid reflux can bring temporary relief, long-term use of acid reflux drugs can lead to some alarming adverse reactions.
For nine years, Valerie (not her real name) was prescribed and took Reglan (metoclopramide) to control her acid reflux. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the 1980s to treat various digestive tract conditions such as severe heartburn and gastroparesis, or the delayed emptying of the stomach contents. As the drug became more widely prescribed, the FDA began receiving reports that the drug may cause a neurological disorder. Despite the warning signs, it took the FDA almost 30 years to investigate and act.
Mederi Therapeutics Inc. is launching an innovative new radiofrequency device for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD. Mederi’s Stretta is a balloon catheter with a needle that delivers radiofrequency energy. The system is inserted into the esophagogastric junction, or the sphincter controlling the entrance of food into the stomach, and prevents stomach acids from backing up into the esophagus. The radiofrequency waves work to restore the function of the valve separating the esophagus from the stomach.
The new health care reform bill gives senior citizens a rebate to purchase prescription medications; however, increasing availability of drugs for seniors may cause safety concerns, especially when it comes to generic versions of medication, according to a Huffington Post blog by Edward F. Blizzard.
